Application of titanium alloy

Baoji Mingkun Nonferrous Metal

1. Aerospace and marine
Due to their high tensile strength to density ratio, high corrosion resistance, fatigue

resistance, high crack resistance, and ability to withstand moderately high temperatures

without creeping, titanium alloys are used in aircraft, armor plating, naval ships, spacecraft,

and missiles. For these applications titanium alloyed with aluminum, vanadium, and other

elements is used for a variety of components including critical structural parts, fire

walls, landing gear, exhaust ducts (helicopters), and hydraulic systems. In fact, about two

thirds of all titanium metal produced is used in aircraft engines and frames. The SR-71

"Blackbird" was one of way for its use in modern military and commercial aircraft. An

estimated 59 metric tons (130,000 pounds) are used in the Boeing 777, 45 in the Boeing 747,

18 in the Boeing 737, 32 in the Airbus A340, 18 in the Airbus A330, and 12 in the Airbus A320.

The Airbus A380 may use 146 metric tons, including about 26 tons in the engines. In engine

applications, titanium is used for rotors, compressor blades, hydraulic system components,

and nacelles. The titanium 6AL-4V alloy accounts for almost 50% of all alloys used in aircraft

applications.

Due to its high corrosion resistance to sea water, titanium is used to make propeller shafts

and rigging and in the heat exchangers of desalination plants; in heater-chillers for salt

water aquariums, fishing line and leader, and for divers' knives. Titanium is used to

manufacture the housings and other components of ocean-deployed surveillance and

monitoring devices for scientific and military use. The former Soviet Union developed
techniques for making submarines largely out of titanium.

2. Medical
Because it is biocompatible (non-toxic and is not rejected by the body), titanium is used in a

gamut of medical applications including surgical implements and implants, such as hip balls

and sockets (joint replacement) that can stay in place for up to 20 years. The titanium is often

alloyed with about 4% aluminum or 6% Al and 4% vanadium.

Titanium has the inherent property to osseointegrate, enabling use in dental implants that

can remain in place for over 30 years. This property is also useful for orthopedic

implant applications. These benefit from titanium's lower modulus of elasticity (Young's

modulus) to more closely match that of the bone that such devices are intended to repair. As

a result, skeletal loads are more evenly shared between bone and implant, leading to a lower
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incidence of bone degradation due to stress shielding and periprosthetic bone fractures which

occur at the boundaries of orthopedic implants. However, titanium alloys' stiffness is still

more than twice that of bone so adjacent bone bears a greatly reduced load and may

deteriorate.

Since titanium is non-ferromagnetic, patients with titanium implants can be safely examined

with magnetic resonance imaging (convenient for long-term implants). Preparing titanium

for implantation in the body involves subjecting it to a high-temperature plasma arc which

removes the surface atoms, exposing fresh titanium that is instantly oxidized.

Titanium is also used for the surgical instruments used in image-guided surgery, as well as

wheelchairs, crutches, and any other products where high strength and low weight are

desirable.

3. Industrial
Welded titanium pipe and process equipment (heat exchangers, tanks, process vessels,

valves) are used in the chemical and petrochemical industries primarily for corrosion

resistance. Specific alloys are used in down hole and nickel hydrometallurgy applications due

to their high strength (e. g.: titanium Beta C alloy), corrosion resistance, or combination of

both. The pulp and paper industry uses titanium in process equipment exposed to corrosive

media such as sodium hypochlorite or wet chlorine gas (in the bleachery). Other applications

include: ultrasonic welding, wave soldering, and sputtering targets.

4. Consumer and architectural
Automotive applications

Titanium metal is used in automotive applications, particularly in automobile or motorcycle




racing, where weight reduction is critical while maintaining high strength and rigidity. The

metal is generally too expensive to make it marketable to the general consumer market,

other than high-end products, particularly for the racing/performance market. Late
model Corvettes have been available with titanium exhausts.

Sporting Goods

Titanium is used in many sporting goods: tennis rackets, golf clubs, lacrosse stick

shafts; cricket, hockey, lacrosse, and football helmet grills; and bicycle frames and

components. Although not a mainstream material for bicycle production, titanium bikes have

been used by race teams and adventure cyclists.

Glass

Titanium alloys are also used in spectacle frames. This results in a rather expensive, but
highly durable and long lasting frame which is light in weight and causes no skin allergies.




Outdoors

Many backpackers use titanium equipment, including cookware, eating utensils, lanterns,

and tent stakes. Though slightly more expensive than traditional steel or aluminum

alternatives, these titanium products can be significantly lighter without compromising

strength. Titanium is also favored for use by farriers, since it is lighter and more durable than

steel when formed into horseshoes.

Architectural applications

Titanium has occasionally been used in architectural applications: the 40 m (131 foot)

memorial to Yuri Gagarin, the first man to travel in space, in Moscow, is made of titanium for

the metal's attractive color and association with rocketry. The Guggenheim Museum

Bilbao and the Cerritos Millennium Library were the first buildings in Europe and North

America, respectively, to be sheathed in titanium panels. Other construction uses of titanium

sheathing include the Frederic C. Hamilton Building in Denver,Coloradoand the 107 m

(350 foot) Monument to the Conquerors of Space in Moscow.



Application of titanium alloy

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Application of titanium alloy